Our Commitment to Fairtrade

Since 2008, Tate & Lyle Sugars has supported small-scale farmers through Fairtrade, generating US$58 million in Fairtrade Premiums*, more than any other sugar company. Fairtrade is a certification scheme which allows us to sell Fairtrade certified sugar and generate value for the cane farmers who participate in the scheme, helping to ensure better livelihoods for themselves and their families. Under the scheme, certified small producer organisations decide democratically how to spend the premiums generated from the sale of their produce. 

Our principle origin for purchasing Fairtrade certified raw cane sugar is Belize in Central America.  All smallholder cane farmers who supply the Belize Sugar Industries mill in Belize are members of Fairtrade producer associations. We also buy Fairtrade sugar from Eswatini and Paraguay. 

Alongside setting standards for sustainable production and certification, Fairtrade also works together with businesses like ours on specific issues and challenges in supply chains. Currently, key project themes are child and forced labour prevention, health and safety in the fields, gender equality, community health, biodiversity and farmer productivity.  

Our Fairtrade commitment has generated premium funds which have contributed to enhanced productivity and improved livelihoods, improved living and working conditions, protection of communities from child and forced labour, promotion of education, better healthcare and gender equality in cane farming communities. 

 *ASR Group Europe to 2022